It's taking some time for me to gather my opinions about the excellent French film Persepolis, and maybe because there's been some excellent news stories distracting me with thoughts about the growing gap between the rich and the poor in this country.
The Washington Post printed an eye-opening, but I suspect under-read story, on the startling dearth of grocery stores in New York City, especially in low-income neighborhoods. While it's long been known that grocery store chains tend to eschew poorer, urban neighborhoods (this never made sense to me; poor people need food too), apparently skyrocketing real estate values are almost forcing stores to sell to developers because the low-profit margins on groceries can't keep up with the hikes in rent.
Because there's no grocery stores nearby, people tend to buy non-perishable foods when they do go shopping, so that means a limited supply of fresh fruit, vegetables and meat.
Not surprisingly, some are calling the lack of grocery stores an impending health crisis, as NYC neighborhoods with fewer stores tend to have higher rates of obesity and diabetes.
There might not be an exact causation at work here, but still it's a problem. Even when I lived in a small Florida beach town, I noticed this issue. The Atlantic coast and the downtown area, where most of the middle and upper-class residents lived (including Sly Stallone!), were awash in Publix stores (and their amazing cakes and cookies!). The town was deeply segregated, and further inland was Gifford, the black neighborhood, where there was one glorified 7-11 masquerading as a grocery store. Many residents in that part of town did have to subsist on convenience store shopping, which not only meant unhealthier meals but also higher prices! Talk about the cycle of poverty. . .
Not too long ago, some states wanted to ban the use of food stamps to purchase junk. But as this article suggests, maybe it'd be more prudent to ense all food stamp recipients actually have access to healthy food before denigrating their shopping choices.
As for a film that addresses some of these issues how about the documentary "The End of Suburbia?" It features a small number of experts who purport that depletion of the world's oil reserves will happen soon rather than later, causing all sorts of changes in how Americans live (i.e. we won't be able to depend on cars to get us everywhere).
Mentioned in the film is the growing movement of New Urbanism, which seeks to return our society to its urban design roots, with walkable city centers. Street cars, which were bought up and destroyed long ago by the auto companies, would be resurrected for the morning and evening commutes.
And while I don't know whole lot about this growing movement, I'm guessing they'd probably be sure to include some incentive for grocery stores to set up shop.
And for the record, I think if someone wants to use their food stamps for Fritos, it's bloody well they're right to do so. Mind your own business, you condescending douchebags!
you live five blocks from the oldest farmer's market in washington, dc. you live four blocks from an organic grocery store. you live seven blocks from a harris teeter. a map can be provided.....
Posted by: smartass | February 23, 2008 at 05:49 PM
ah, but you see what living close to the farmer's market accomplished.
marc's white hotness - 1
locally grown fruits in vegetables in historic setting - 0
Posted by: RHLHJ | February 24, 2008 at 01:43 AM